 Giménez withUruguay at the2018 FIFA World Cup | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | José María Giménez de Vargas[1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | (1995-01-20)20 January 1995 (age 31)[1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Toledo, Uruguay | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)[1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position | Centre-back | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Team information | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Current team | Atlético Madrid | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Number | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Danubio | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2012–2013 | Danubio | 16 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2013– | Atlético Madrid | 261 | (6) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| International career‡ | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2013 | Uruguay U20 | 13 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2013– | Uruguay | 97 | (8) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
| |||||||||||||||||||||||
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 8 February 2026 ‡ National team caps and goals as of 16 November 2025 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
José María Giménez de Vargas (Spanish pronunciation:[xoˈsemaˈɾi.axiˈmenesðeˈβaɾɣas];[α] born 20 January 1995) is a Uruguayan professionalfootballer who plays as acentre-back forLa Liga clubAtlético Madrid andcaptains theUruguay national team.
After starting out his professional career withDanubio FC, Giménez signed forAtlético Madrid, where he would spend over a decade and play more than 350 games. He won five major titles with the latter, including theLa Liga title2013–14 and2020–21, as well as theUEFA Europa League in2017–18.
At international level, Giménez made his Uruguay debut in 2013, and has since represented the nation at threeFIFA World Cups and five editions of theCopa América.
Born inToledo, Giménez made his professional debut forDanubio F.C. in theUruguayan Primera División on 17 November 2012 (when the manager wasJuan Ramón Carrasco) againstRiver Plate in which he started and played the full 90 minutes as Danubio lost the match 2–0.[2]
On 24 April 2013, it was confirmed that Giménez had signed on a five-year deal with Spanish sideAtlético Madrid, and would join the club in the pre-season of the2013–14 season.[3] On 14 September, Giménez made hisAtleti – andLa Liga – debut, starting in a 4–2 home win overUD Almería.[4] It was his only appearance of a league-winning season.[5][6] Giménez's appearances were initially limited by competition from compatriotDiego Godín, as well asMiranda andToby Alderweireld.[7]
In August 2014, Giménez won theSupercopa de España againstrivalsReal Madrid, though he did not leave the substitutes' bench in either game.[5] He scored his first goal for the club on 6 December 2014, opening a 2–0 win away toElche CF to move Atlético into second place.[8] He played more often in2014–15 due to Alderweireld's departure,[9] and the club then sold Miranda toInter Milan, with Giménez having achieved higher averages per game of tackles and interceptions than the Brazilian veteran.[10] Giménez was a regular starter thefollowing season, until losing his place toStefan Savić for the last third of the campaign.[9]
.jpg)
In July 2016, Giménez was naturalised as a citizen of Spain, thereby freeing up one of Atlético's three spots for players from outside the European Union.[9] He struggled for appearances in2016–17, due to injuries and the form of Godín, Savić andLucas Hernandez.[11] On 27 September 2017, he made his 100th appearance in a Champions League group 2–1 home loss toChelsea, and was honoured with a plaque on the "Walk of Legends" at Atlético's newMetropolitano Stadium.[12] His team won theUEFA Europa League, with him partnering Godín in central defence for the 3–0 win overOlympique de Marseille in thefinal on 16 May.[13]
In June 2018, with 134 games to his name, Giménez signed a new five-year contract.[14] Atlético won the2018 UEFA Super Cup on 15 August, with Giménez playing as a substitute forDiego Costa in the last 10 minutes of extra time in a 4–2 win over Real Madrid inTallinn.[15] On 20 February 2019, he scored the opener in 2-0 home win against Italian championsJuventus to give Atlético the advantage in the first leg of theRound of 16 fixture in theUEFA Champions League.[16]
Ahead of the2019–20 season, after Godín's departure, managerDiego Simeone namedKoke as Atléticocaptain, followed bygoalkeeperJan Oblak, then Giménez as third-captain.[17] Atlético won the league in2020–21, with Simeone, Giménez and Koke the only veterans of their previous triumph in 2014; Savić andMario Hermoso were the preferred central defensive pairing.[18]
In August 2021, on 216 appearances across all competitions, Giménez's contract was extended to 2025.[19] On 6 August 2023, this was extended to 2028.[20] He made his 300th appearance for the club on 16 December that year, coming on as a substitute forÇağlar Söyüncü in a 2–0 loss atAthletic Bilbao; he became the 31st player to reach the mark.[21]
.jpg)
Giménez participated forUruguay at the2013 FIFA U-20 World Cup as the team finished as runner-up toFrance.[22]
He debuted for theUruguay senior team in a2014 FIFA World Cup qualifier againstColombia on 10 September 2013.[22]
On 2 June 2014, Giménez was named in Uruguay's squad for the2014 FIFA World Cup finals.[23] The 19-year-old defender made his tournament debut againstEngland in the team's second group match, deputising for the injured captainDiego Lugano in a 2–1 victory forLa Celeste.[24] He went on to start in the final group match – a 1–0 win overItaly – and the 2–0round of 16 loss toColombia.[25]
Giménez scored his first international goal in a 1–0 friendly win againstSouth Korea on 8 September 2014.[26] In May 2015, he was named inUruguay's squad for the2015 Copa América by coachÓscar Tabárez.[27] On 20 June, he scored Uruguay's goal in a 1–1 draw withParaguay which saw both teams progress to theknockout stage.[28]
In May 2018 he was named in Uruguay's provisional 26-mansquad for the2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.[29] On 15 June, with the score tied at 0–0, he scored the winning goal in the final minute of Uruguay's opening game of the World Cup againstEgypt.[30]
In March 2019, Tabárez included Giménez in the final 23-man Uruguay squad for the2019 Copa América in Brazil.[31] He headed the equaliser in the 2–2 group draw withJapan inPorto Alegre,[32] and was the only Uruguayan in the Team of the Tournament despite a quarter-final exit.[33]
Giménez married Regina Iafolla in a civil ceremony in June 2019, prior the Copa América.[34] They have three sons.[35]
| Club | Season | League | National cup[a] | Continental | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Danubio | 2012–13 | Uruguayan Primera División | 16 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 16 | 0 | ||
| Atlético Madrid | 2013–14 | La Liga | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 2 | 0 | |
| 2014–15 | La Liga | 20 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 4[b] | 0 | — | 28 | 2 | ||
| 2015–16 | La Liga | 27 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 8[b] | 0 | — | 37 | 1 | ||
| 2016–17 | La Liga | 17 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 6[b] | 0 | — | 29 | 1 | ||
| 2017–18 | La Liga | 23 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 11[c] | 0 | — | 38 | 2 | ||
| 2018–19 | La Liga | 21 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 5[b] | 2 | 1[d] | 0 | 29 | 2 | |
| 2019–20 | La Liga | 21 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5[b] | 0 | 1[e] | 0 | 27 | 0 | |
| 2020–21 | La Liga | 21 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4[b] | 1 | — | 26 | 1 | ||
| 2021–22 | La Liga | 24 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 7[b] | 0 | 1[e] | 0 | 33 | 1 | |
| 2022–23 | La Liga | 28 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 5[b] | 0 | — | 36 | 2 | ||
| 2023–24 | La Liga | 22 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 7[b] | 0 | 1[e] | 0 | 33 | 0 | |
| 2024–25 | La Liga | 27 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 8[b] | 1 | 1[f] | 0 | 39 | 1 | |
| 2025–26 | La Liga | 9 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 4[b] | 1 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 1 | |
| Total | 261 | 6 | 32 | 3 | 74 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 372 | 14 | ||
| Career total | 277 | 6 | 32 | 3 | 74 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 388 | 14 | ||
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Uruguay | 2013 | 3 | 0 |
| 2014 | 12 | 2 | |
| 2015 | 10 | 1 | |
| 2016 | 5 | 0 | |
| 2017 | 9 | 1 | |
| 2018 | 8 | 3 | |
| 2019 | 11 | 1 | |
| 2020 | 2 | 0 | |
| 2021 | 13 | 0 | |
| 2022 | 8 | 0 | |
| 2023 | 2 | 0 | |
| 2024 | 9 | 0 | |
| 2025 | 5 | 0 | |
| Total | 97 | 8 | |
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 8 September 2014 | Goyang Stadium,Goyang, South Korea |  South Korea | 1–0 | 1–0 | Friendly |
| 2. | 13 November 2014 | Estadio Centenario,Montevideo, Uruguay |  Costa Rica | 2–2 | 3–3 | |
| 3. | 20 June 2015 | Estadio La Portada,La Serena, Chile |  Paraguay | 1–0 | 1–1 | 2015 Copa América |
| 4. | 4 June 2017 | Aviva Stadium,Dublin, Republic of Ireland |  Republic of Ireland | 1–1 | 1–3 | Friendly |
| 5. | 7 June 2018 | Estadio Centenario, Montevideo, Uruguay |  Uzbekistan | 3–0 | 3–0 | |
| 6. | 15 June 2018 | Central Stadium,Yekaterinburg, Russia |  Egypt | 1–0 | 1–0 | 2018 FIFA World Cup |
| 7. | 7 September 2018 | NRG Stadium,Houston, United States |  Mexico | 1–0 | 4–1 | Friendly |
| 8. | 20 June 2019 | Arena do Grêmio,Porto Alegre, Brazil |  Japan | 2–2 | 2–2 | 2019 Copa América |
Atlético Madrid
Uruguay U20
Uruguay
Individual
Uruguay squads | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
